New York State Police said Constantinos “Danny” Filippidis, 49, of Toronto, was found 2,900 miles away Tuesday in Sacramento.

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Updated: 5:50 PM EST Feb 13, 2018

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WEBVTT STEWART: AND I'M STEWARTLEDBETTER. STEPHANIE GORIN IS OFF. NEW YORK STATE POLICE ARECONFIRMING THAT CONSTANTINOS"DANNY" FILIPPIDIS -- THE FOCUSOF AN INTENSE RESCUE ATWHITEFACE MOUNTAIN -- HAS TURNEDUP IN CALIFORNIA. HE IS A TORONTO FIREFIGHTER WHOCONTACTED AUTHORITIES TODAY INSACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.NBC 5'S LEE ANNE DENYER HAS BEENTALKING WITH STATE POLICE. SHE JOINS US LIVE IN WILMINGTONWITH LATE BREAKING INFORMATION. LEE ANNE -- WHAT HAPPENED?LEE ANNE: THERE IS A LOT WESTILL DON'T KNOW TONIGHT.NEW YORK STATE POLICE HASCONFIRMED THAT DANNY FILIPPIDIS IS ALIVE AND WELL.WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TIME DIDTHIS MAN TO LEAVE THIS GROUP OFSKIERS AND THE TRAVEL THOUSANDSOF MILES ACROSS THE COUNTRYWHILE CREWS SPENT NEARLY A WEEKHERE SEARCHING FOR HIM.THE 49-YEAR-OLD FIREFIGHTER WASREPORTED MISSING LAST WEDNESDAY.STATE FOREST RANGERSVOLUNTEERED, EVEN SOME OF HISFELLOW FIREFIGHTERS FOR TORONTO-- FROM TORONTO HAVE BEEN COMINGTHIS MOUNTAIN FOR ANY SIDE OFHIM.WE SPOKE WITH NEW YORK STATEPOLICE YESTERDAY ABOUT THESEARCH EFFORTS.THE TROOP COMMANDER TOLD USTHERE WAS A HEAVY FOCUS ON THEMOUNTAIN ITSELF, BUTINVESTIGATORS WERE TRYING TOFIGURE OUT IF THERE COULD BE ANYOTHER POSSIBLE REASON FOR HISDISAPPEARANCE.>> WE HAVE INVESTIGATIVE UNITTHAT IS INVOLVED IN THE MISSINGPERSONS CASE.THEY HAVE BEEN ON THE SCENE ANDVERY INVOLVED SINCE THE SECONDDAY.LEE ANNE: THAT WAS THE WORKAHEAD OF US LEARNING HE IS ALIVEAND WELL.POLICE SAID THERE WAS NOINDICATION HE WAS NOT ON THEMOUNTAIN.STATE POLICE HAVE BEEN OPEN TOTHE IDEA SINCE EARLY ON.OFFICIALS ESTIMATE THEY SPENT7000 HOURS COMING THISTREACHEROUS MOUNTAIN LOOKING FORHIM.HE HAS BEEN LOCATED INCALIFORNIA.THERE ARE MANY DETAILS WE STILLDO. -- STILL DO NOT KNOW.POLICE ARE EXPECTED TO RELEASEMORE INFORMATION TOMORROW.BRIAN: WE ARE GOING TO GO LIVETO TORONTO RIGHT NOW.THERE IS A NEWS CONFERENCEUNDERWAY.FILLIPIDIS IS A CAPTAIN IN THEFIRE DEPARTMENT THERE.>> HE WAS CONFUSED AND NOT ABLETO GIVE DIRECT ANSWERS.THE POLICE EVENTUALLY MADECONTACT WITH HIM.THEY WERE CONCERNED AND BROUGHTHIM TO GET MEDICAL ATTENTION.>> IS HE STILL IN THE HOSPITAL?OR IS HE IN CUSTODY?>> I BELIEVE HE IS UNDER MEDICALMONITORING.>> HOW DID HE MAKE CONTACT?>> HE HAD A PHONE.SHE QUICKLY RECOGNIZED THEVOICE.THEY LOST CONTACT AND HECONTACTED HER AGAIN.THEY ASKED HIM TO CALL 911 ASSOON AS POSSIBLE.>> WHERE WAS HE AT THAT POINT?>> NEAR SACRAMENTO.>> WAS HE WITH ANYONE?>> ALONE.>> DOES HE HAVE A HISTORY OFMENTAL ILLNESS?>> I AM NOT AWARE.>> WERE THERE ANY SIGNS OFTRAUMA?>> I AM TOLD HE STILL HAD THESAME CLOTHING HE WAS SKIING IN.THE AUTHORITIES INDICATED ITLOOKED LIKE HE WAS IN THOSECLOSE SINCE HE WAS MISSING -.>> HOW MANY OF YOUR FIREFIGHTERSTRAVELED -- YOU ISSUED A CALLFOR HELP ON THE WEEKEND?HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE SEARCHING?>> WE HAD A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OFRESPONSE.WE HAD A LEAK OF OVER 100FIREFIGHTERS -- LEAGUE OF 100FIREFIGHTERS.FIREFIGHTERS WERE WILLING TOWORK SHIFT.THAT IS AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANTPART.I AM SO PROUD OF HOW OUR MEMBERSCAME TOGETHER, NO MATTER WHATTHE INVESTIGATION, YOU CANNOTTAKE AWAY THAT ALL THEVOLUNTEERS AND WORK PUT INTOFINDING DANNY, SOME WORKERSL AND SOME THAT DIDN'T KNOW HIM-- SOME WORKERS KNEW HIM WELL,OTHERS DIDN'T KNOW HIM.WE USE THE TERMS BROTHER ANDSISTER.THEY ARE NOT ONLY WORDS.THE ACTIONS THIS PAST WEEKSHOWED ME WE ARE FAMILY.>> [INDISCERNIBLE]>> IT WAS AN ANNUAL SKI TRIP.EIGHT OF THEM WERE SKIING.HE WAS SKIING WITH SOMEONE WHOWAS FEELING FATIGUED.THE PERSON WANTED TO TAKE ABREAK AND WAS COMING TO THE ENDOF THE DAY.HE WANTED TO DO ONE LAST RUN.HE WAS SKIING BY HIMSELF.>> WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TOHAVING A FRIEND AND COLLEAGUECOMING BACK HOME AND ALIVE?ONE WEEK IS A LONG TIME TO BE INTHESE FREEZING TEMPERATURES.>> I AM SO HAPPY FOR HIM AND HISFAMILY.I AM HAPPY FOR HIS COWORKERS.I WANT TO LAKE PLACID THURSDAY.I WAS THERE UNTIL LATE SUNDAY.I SPOKE TO HIS WIFE &.TO SEE THE PAIN IN -- WIFE ANDSON.TO SEE THE PAIN IN THERE EYES, IAM GLAD THEY HAVE THEIR DATABACK.AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WASGOING TO DO WITH THE CREWMEMBERS.I AM GLAD THE SITUATION TURNEDOUT POSITIVE.WE WERE QUITE CONCERNED.I HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH SOME OFOUR PEERS SUPPORT PEOPLE ONEXACTLY WHAT WE CAN DO FORMEMBERS THAT WERE SKIING.YOU CAN IMAGINE THE GUILT THEYWOULD HAVE IF THEY -- THIS TURNED TRAGIC.>> HOW DID HE GET FROM NEW YORKTO CALIFORNIA?>> THIS IS UNDER INVESTIGATION.AS THE POLICE DO THEIRINVESTIGATION -->> WHAT TIME DID HE ARRIVE?>> WAS HE IN CALIFORNIA WITH HISSKI EQUIPMENT?>> HE HAD HIS HEAVY JACKETS, HISSKI PANTS WERE ON, AND HISHELMET AND GOGGLES WERE WITHHIM.>> WHAT KIND OF STATE WAS HE INWHEN HE WENT FOR ONE LAST RUN?WAS HE MAGICALLY AND -- MENTALLYAND PHYSICALLY WELL?>> THERE WERE NO INDICATION OFPROBLEMS.THE PERSON WITH HIM WAS FEELINGFATIGUED.HE WANTED TO TAKE A REST.THIS WAS AROUND 2:30.HE STATED HE WANTED TO FINISHONE MORE RUN.>> SO WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD INTERMS OF SPECULATION OF THISSEVEN APPEARANCE?-- SUDDEN APPEARANCE?PEOPLE ARE GOING TO ASSUMEWHAT THEY ASSUME WHEN YOU END UPFROM NEW YORK STATE TOCALIFORNIA.YOU HAVE A AUTHORITIES INCALIFORNIA AND NEW YORK STATEDOING A SEARCH.NEW YORK STATE PUT A LOT OFRESOURCES INTO THE SEARCH ANDTHEY WANT TO MAKE SURE NOTHINGWAS DONE MALICIOUSLY.THEY WILL DO A COMPREHENSIVEINVESTIGATION.>> WHO WILL BE BEARING THE FRONTOF THE COST FOR THIS SEARCH?THIS IS A MASSIVE SEARCH.>> I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH NEWYORK STATE OR THEIR LOSS.-- OR THERE LAWS -- OR THEIRLAWS.>> SOMETIMES PEOPLE GO ON THESKI TRIPS AND PARTAKE INSUBSTANCES.CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE CULTURETHAT GOES ON ON SOME OF THESETRIPS?>> I DON'T GO ON TOO MANY.THE POLICE DID A COMPREHENSIVEINVESTIGATION WITH EVERYONE THATHAD SEEN DANNY, AND ALLINDICATIONS WERE THERE WAS NOSUBSTANCE ABUSED.HE WAS PERFECTLY FINE.>> WHAT DATED HE ARRIVE INCALIFORNIA?>> THIS IS THE FIRST DAY HE WASABLE TO MAKE CONTACT.>> WHAT TIME?>> AFTERNOON.NEW YORK TIME.>> I WAS TOLD THE SEARCH WASCALLED OFF AROUND 1:45.>> THEY WERE STILL MAKING SUREIT WAS HIM.THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE ITWASN'T A HOAX.>> HE HASN'T INDICATED IF HEFLEW TO CALIFORNIA?HE HAS NO IDEA HOW HE ENDED UPTHERE?>> I AM TOLD IT IS UNLIKELY HEFLEW TO CALIFORNIA AS HE HAD NOIDENTIFICATION ON HIM AND POLICE

Missing Whiteface skier found alive in California

New York State Police said Constantinos “Danny” Filippidis, 49, of Toronto, was found 2,900 miles away Tuesday in Sacramento.